Four police officers have been shot dead in an ambush at a coffee shop in Washington State, police say.

Officials said at least one gunman walked into a coffee shop in Parkland, near the McChord Air Force Base, and opened fire.

A sheriff’s spokesman said the attack was “like an execution” and it was not believed to have been a robbery.

Other people in the coffee shop at the time were not injured. Police are searching for the gunman.

Parkland is in Pierce County, 40 miles (65km) south of Seattle.

Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said the officers, three men and a woman, had been working on their laptops in the coffee shop when the shooting happened on Sunday morning.
He described it as a “flat-out ambush” of the uniformed police, adding that none of the employees or any other people inside the cafe were hit.

“This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers,” Mr Troyer said.

The other people in the cafe were being interviewed by police.

“Some are in shock. They are very upset,” Mr Troyer said.

“They are the ones who are going to put together for us how this happened.”
First reports said there had been two gunmen but Mr Troyer told the BBC he now believed there was only one.

He said the suspect is a black male in his late 20s or early 30s who was scruffy, wearing a black coat and blue jeans.

This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers. Ed Troyer Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman

Police are searching the area for the shooter
He said medical staff should be on the lookout for any person who needed treatment for a gunshot wound and claimed it was accidental.

Theron Zahn, of KOMO-TV, told the BBC that a huge police operation involving hundreds of officers was under way.

“Police helicopters are in the air using their infra-red cameras for anyone who may be hiding nearby. It is a massive manhunt.”

Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunmen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8385421.stm

This is disgusting.. more and more it seems the boundry’s of society are being destroyed…. For this Animal to walk in to a coffee shop and kill 4 Police officers shows what a low life the suspect is, what a disrespect for society he and the other like him have. If this isnt a case for The death penalty then what is???

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Police-officers-shot-78089882.html

“The city of Lakewood says the four officers shot to death at a Parkland coffee shot were original members of the police department that formed five years ago.”

to the cop killer in tacoma washington who gunned down four cops in a coffee shop: what are your motives?
Did the cops kill your puppy?
this wont bring your pup back.
maybe they poisoned your puppy prior to a search warrant, but this is no excuse. Sorry to remind you but your dog isn’t a human: it is a dog.
turn yourself in and you will probably hang for this
save us the trouble, make sure this can’t happen again.

All you are doing is giving the news stations fodder and increasing their ratings at the expense of the cops families. Not such a good trade.

my two cents.

A worker died early Saturday morning when a large storage bin broke apart and buried him in potash ore at a Mosaic Company facility near Esterhazy, Sask. Another worker is in hospital with injuries from the accident, which took place around 2 a.m. Saturday. It was not known how serious the injuries were, but it was expected the worker would survive.

“A bin failed, and subsequently the potash poured out of it at that time,” Chandra Pratt, the human resources manager for Mosaic in Esterhazy, told CBC News.

The storage bin is located above ground and is associated with the Mosaic Company’s K2 potash mine. Esterhazy is about 225 kilometres east of Regina.

“Two of our employees were in the area at the time,” Pratt explained. “One worker was taken to hospital and the second worker unfortunately died at the scene.”

Pratt said both the workers involved are from Esterhazy area. Family members of the dead employee have been notified and are being assisted by a counsellor, Pratt said.

A family member who contacted CBC News said the man who died is Tom Merrit and he is married with two children. The family member did not have an exact age but thought Merrit was in his early 30s.

Pratt could not confirm the name of the man who died. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to the employee’s family and friends,” she said.

There was no information available on the identity of the injured worker.

Other workers rushed to help

Pratt said fellow workers on the overnight shift were nearby when the accident occurred and immediately rushed to the scene of the collapse.

“Their crew was quickly deployed at the time and quite quickly pulled the one worker out of the debris,” Pratt said. “Unfortunately, the other fellow wasn’t as easy to get to.”

The storage bins hold an estimated 800 tonnes of potash ore. The material is still in a raw form and is not yet processed.

When asked whether the company had ever had troubles with the bins before, Pratt said: “Not like this, no.”

The collapsed bin was one of several bins at the mine site. Pratt did not have an exact count.

“The RCMP and the provincial mine safety unit have been contacted, and they’re on site conducting an investigation,” Pratt said. “We’re at this point assisting them with the investigation and the cleanup.”

*

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2009/11/28/sk-mosaic-esterhazy-bin-collapse.html

Sad story out of Washington State this afternoon. 4 Police officers getting coffee before going on duty, were shot and killed by an unknown person while sitting in a coffee shop. LE is saying this was an ambush and the officers were targeted.
My prayers go out to the families and co-workers to these officers. GOD Speed….Source

Russian Officials: Bomb Caused Train Crash That Killed 26

An employee died when an above-ground storage bin designed to hold up to 800 tonnes of ore collapsed at the Mosaic Company’s K2 potash mine near Esterhazy, Sask., seen here in 2006.(Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)

A worker died early Saturday morning when a large storage bin broke apart and buried him in potash ore at a Mosaic Company facility near Esterhazy, Sask.

Another worker is in hospital with injuries from the accident, which took place around 2 a.m. Saturday. It was not known how serious the injuries were, but it was expected the worker would survive.

“A bin failed, and subsequently the potash poured out of it at that time,” Chandra Pratt, the human resources manager for Mosaic in Esterhazy, told CBC News.

The storage bin is located above ground and is associated with the Mosaic Company’s K2 potash mine. Esterhazy is about 225 kilometres east of Regina.

“Two of our employees were in the area at the time,” Pratt explained. “One worker was taken to hospital and the second worker unfortunately died at the scene.”

Pratt said both the workers involved are from Esterhazy area. Family members of the dead employee have been notified and are being assisted by a counsellor, Pratt said.

A family member who contacted CBC News said the man who died is Tom Merrit and he is married with two children. The family member did not have an exact age but thought Merrit was in his early 30s.

Pratt could not confirm the name of the man who died. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to the employee’s family and friends,” she said.

There was no information available on the identity of the injured worker.

Other workers rushed to help

Pratt said fellow workers on the overnight shift were nearby when the accident occurred and immediately rushed to the scene of the collapse.

“Their crew was quickly deployed at the time and quite quickly pulled the one worker out of the debris,” Pratt said. “Unfortunately, the other fellow wasn’t as easy to get to.”

The storage bins hold an estimated 800 tonnes of potash ore. The material is still in a raw form and is not yet processed.

When asked whether the company had ever had troubles with the bins before, Pratt said: “Not like this, no.”

The collapsed bin was one of several bins at the mine site. Pratt did not have an exact count.

“The RCMP and the provincial mine safety unit have been contacted, and they’re on site conducting an investigation,” Pratt said. “We’re at this point assisting them with the investigation and the cleanup.”

Millions of Americans may have to repay tax creditPotash Corp. plans 800 more layoffs

Rescuers work at the site of a train derailment, about 400 km (250 miles) northwest of Moscow.

 The ‘Nevsky Express’ train carrying hundreds of passengers from Moscow to St. Petersburg derailed killing dozens of people and injuring dozens more in Tver Region, Russia, on November 28, 2009.

 Four cars derailed.

A bomb attack caused the crash, which killed up to 39 people and injured nearly 130.

The health minister said that the 18 people listed as missing after the incident had not been located in the three car that went off the tracks.

    In August 2007, an explosion derailed the same express train on the same railroad line, injuring 60 people. An investigation into that attack continues, with the main suspect still being sought by authorities.

    The disaster has fueled fears of a rise in terrorist attacks outside Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region. Russia was hit hard by terrorism in the 1990s and the early years of this decade, but there had been no major incident outside the North Caucasus region since 2004. 

Follow story from the source….

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/29/content_12557383.htm

Three American crew members are killed as a cargo plane crashes on take-off at China’s Shanghai airport…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: international airports. For a different topic see here. The blog is also related to: international flight.

Three American crew members are killed as a cargo plane crashes on take-off at China’s Shanghai airport…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: china internet. The blog is also related to: chines.

Kekejaman kini semakin berleluasa tanpa mengira belas kasihan di antara sesama manusia yang sudah lumrahnya masing-masing mempunyai keluarga (anak, isteri, bapa, ibu, nenek dan seterusnya).  Mangsa-mangsa yang terbunuh seolah diperlakukan seperti haiwan yang tidak berdaya dengan tangan yang diikat ke belakang dan seterusnya ditembak.

Adakah ini kemanusiaan? Adakah manusia sekarang sanggup melakukan perkara sebegitu walaupun hanya dibezakan daripada segi fahaman politik semata-mata?

Kebanyakannya daripada mangsa tersebut adalah wartawan-wartawan yang membuat liputan.  Kisahnya sebegini, dikatakan bahawa satu konvoi telah bertolak untuk menghantar borang pencalonan bagi calon ini, Ismael Mangudadatu dalam pilihanraya perebutan jawatan Gabenor di Selatan Filipina. Keluarga dan saudara-mara calon tersebut disertai oleh wartawan-wartawan telah mengikuti konvoi tersebut manakala Ismael tidak setelah pernah menerima ugutan bunuh.  Semasa perjalanan, konvoi tersebut telah dipintas oleh 100 orang bersenjata tanpa mereka dapat berbuat apa-apa dengan hanya menurut sahaja apa permintaan mereka.  Mereka telah dibawa ke kawasan pertanian terpencil dan dibunuh.  Tanpa mengira sesiapa, tua atau muda, kesemua mereka ditembak dari jarak dekat dengan senjata M-16 dan ada yang ditetak dengan machete (parang). Mayat bergelimpangan. Darah membasahi tanah. Sebilangannya juga ada yang ditanam dalam kubur yang cetek sehingga menimbulkan bau yang busuk di sekitar tempat kejadian.  Malah menyedihkan lagi ada di kalangan saudara calon tersebut yang mengandung.

Terdapat dalam catatan suratkhabar di mana wanita-wanita yang dijadikan tahanan beranggapan bahawa mereka tidak akan diapa-apakan namun jangkaan mereka meleset. Ini sudah jelas menunjukkan kekejaman yang ditunjukkan oleh penyerang mereka. Sebagai manusia biasa, kita tidak akan sanggup mencederakan kaum wanita, orang tua atau kanak-kanak yang lemah.  Yang lebih menyedihkan, dua buah kereta yang bukan mengikuti konvoi tersebut juga turut ditahan, mungkin takut mereka akan membongkarkan aktiviti mereka.

]]> http://pbaptist.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/pakistani-christian-on-run-from-taliban-death-threat/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:41:26 +0000 Particular Kev http://pbaptist.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/pakistani-christian-on-run-from-taliban-death-threat/ http://travelheadlines.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/man-killed-in-two-car-collision/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:17:46 +0000 wnewsfeed6061 http://travelheadlines.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/man-killed-in-two-car-collision/

A man dies when the car he is travelling in collides with another vehicle on the A46 in Lincolnshire…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: train travel. For a different topic see great corn recipes. The blog is also related to: trips.

• Rep. Michael Arcuri [D, NY-24]
  Rep. Joe Baca [D, CA-43]
  Rep. Brian Baird [D, WA-3]
  Rep. Tammy Baldwin [D, WI-2]
  Rep. John Boccieri [D, OH-16]
  Rep. Russ Carnahan [D, MO-3]
  Rep. Steve Cohen [D, TN-9]
  Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
  Rep. John Hall [D, NY-19]
  Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D, NY-22]
  Rep. Steve Kagen [D, WI-8]
  Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D, NY-14]
  Rep. Betsy Markey [D, CO-4]
  Rep. James McGovern [D, MA-3]
  Rep. Michael Michaud [D, ME-2]
  Rep. Christopher Murphy [D, CT-5]
  Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D, NY-8]
  Rep. Erik Paulsen [R, MN-3]
  Rep. Thomas Perriello [D, VA-5]
  Rep. Laura Richardson [D, CA-37]
  Rep. Mike Ross [D, AR-4]
  Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D, CA-47]
  Rep. Mark Schauer [D, MI-7]
  Rep. William Shuster [R, PA-9]
  Rep. Harry Teague [D, NM-2]
  Rep. Dina Titus [D, NV-3]
  Rep. Lynn Westmoreland [R, GA-3]
  Rep. David Wu [D, OR-1]
If your representative is not on the list call and e-mail them. I do not think this is all of them though. I will add more as I figure out who is missing.

BEIJING — A gas explosion in a southwestern China coal mine killed nine people, state media said Friday, the latest deadly accident to strike the country’s notoriously dangerous mining sector. Search efforts were underway for a missing miner, Xinhua news agency said, following the accident late Thursday at the Zhenxing coal mine in Guizhou province. Last Saturday, 108 miners were killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in Heilongjiang province in northeastern China, reigniting concerns about safety standards in the nation’s coal mines. China’s coal mines are among the most dangerous in the world, with safety often ignored in the quest for profits and the drive to meet surging demand for coal — the source of about 70 percent of China’s energy.

*

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jl53XTFwuy7j5Im_rIZvmMwIzTPQ

Internet Files Encyclopedia – allfile.do.am – Click

The driver of a truck that hit and killed a man from Jersey on an overseas charity trip was driving without care and attention, Jersey Hospice says…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: travel map. The blog is also related to: airport ticket.

Jim Walter Resources Inc. officials have identified two miners who collapsed in the Brookwood No. 7 mine last night. James Chaney, 53, of Berry died in the mine. Milton Etheridge, 59, of McCalla was found collapsed and was taken by helicopter to UAB Hospital after his rescue this morning. He was listed in good condition at the hospital this afternoon. “They each had decades of coal-mining experience,” said Dennis Hall, spokesman for Jim Walter Resources. Jim Walter officials also responded to a report by a federal mine safety official that low oxygen was to blame for Chaney’s death. “We don’t know how anyone could come to that conclusion at this early stage of the investigation,” Hall said. Two other miners on duty and three members of the mine rescue team showed signs of heat exhaustion during the rescue, which involved about 20 people at one point this morning. An additional three miners became ill today while working on the ventilation system after the rescue effort, a a company spokesman said. The mine’s tunnels occupy an area of 10 to 15 square miles.

*

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/11/post_242.html

HAZARD, Ky. (AP) — State officials say a crane accident at a mining site in southeastern Kentucky has fatally wounded a worker. Energy and Environment Cabinet spokeswoman Ricki Gardenhire says 37-year-old Leslie D. Trent of Hazard was struck by a crane arm at around 6 p.m. EST Monday. Trent was working for New York-based Frontier-Kemper Constructors at a site owned by Perry County Coal Corp. Gardenhire says Trent and another worker were changing equipment on a crane when the arm fell several feet and landed on them. Trent was flown to the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, where he later died. The other worker suffered a severe cut on the head and was taken to University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington. His condition was not known Tuesday afternoon.

*

http://wztv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.ky/20d465ac-www.fox17.com.shtml

In this undated 2008 photo, Bill Sparkman speaks to a 7th grade class during a lesson about sound waves.

AP—A Kentucky census worker found naked, bound with duct tape and hanging from a tree with “fed” scrawled on his chest killed himself but staged his death to make it look like a homicide, authorities said Tuesday.

Bill Sparkman, 51, was found Sept. 12 with a rope around his neck near a cemetery in a heavily wooded area of the Daniel Boone National Forest in southeastern Kentucky. Authorities said his wrists were loosely bound, his glasses were taped to his head and he was gagged.

Kentucky State Police Capt. Lisa Rudzinski said an analysis found that “fed” was written “from the bottom up.” He was touching the ground, and to survive “all Mr. Sparkman had to do at any time was stand up,” she said.

“Our investigation, based on evidence and witness testimony, has concluded that Mr. Sparkman died during an intentional, self-inflicted act that was staged to appear as a homicide,” Rudzinski said.

Authorities said Sparkman alone manipulated the suicide scene. Rudzinski said he “told a credible witness that he planned to commit suicide and provided details on how and when.”

Authorities wouldn’t say who Sparkman told of his plan, but said Sparkman talked about it a week before his suicide and the person did not take him seriously.

Friends and co-workers have said that even while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, Sparkman would show up for work smiling with a toboggan cap to cover his balding head. They said he was punctual and dependable.

$600,000 in life insurance
Sparkman had recently taken out two accidental life insurance policies totaling $600,000 that would not pay out for suicide, authorities said. If Sparkman had been killed on the job, his family also would have been be eligible for up to $10,000 in death gratuity payments from the government.

Sparkman’s son, Josh, previously told The Associated Press that his father had named him as his life insurance beneficiary. Josh Sparkman said earlier this month he found paperwork for the private life insurance policy among his father’s personal files but wasn’t sure of the amount.

The Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in the rural area after Sparkman’s body was found, but a spokesman said normal operations would resume in Clay County next month.

Anti-government sentiment was initially one possibility in the death. Authorities said Sparkman had discussed perceived negative views of the federal government in the county.


More @

I am a figure known all around the world, to many different people, as many different things. You can simply call me God. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I’m here to offer you worldly advice or the secret of life or something like that. Well, that’s not it. Seriously, don’t fret about me; I just wanna tell you a story.

It is currently April 23, 2006, 2:47 p.m. We are located in the city of Abbott, Arkansas.

The air in the jail cell is drafty yet warm. It presses on Peter’s skin, forming tiny beads of sweat on his partially bald head. Peter stands at 5′9″, weighs 233 pounds, and has small, watery blue eyes. He is currently squatting on his flat mattress, in his bright orange jumpsuit, reading his Bible. Ironic; he’s never been religious before. That’s no matter, though, no matter. In precisely three hours, and now, nine minutes, he will be killed. He will be killed at exactly 6:00 p.m. and there isn’t anything I’m gonna do to stop it.

Peter had a very classic childhood. He was a shiny boy, born in 1959. His mother wasn’t a feminist, she lived her life the way her mother did. His father was an upstanding citizen, respected by many. Like said, all fairly normal. On his seventh birthday, he was dressed in a yellow and brown striped shirt, he wore a small, paper crown that his mother had bought for him, and he was surrounded by his three brothers and one sister. His sister’s name was Patricia. She was probably one of the most compassionate people he had ever known. Peter’s older brother’s left early for school every day in order to not walk with him and his little brother, Timmy. Patricia always waited, even though she was the oldest. Even if it meant being late, she always waited.

His dad was working late; and with one simple phone call, they sat down and ate meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and were now watching him blow out the candles. He wished for basic things. A new bike or perhaps that really expensive baseball glove he had picked out at the store. His mother fussed over the candles, and the wax that dripped on the cake. She cut perfectly symmetrical pieces, giving him the first one. He absolutely loved being served first. It was the perfect cake on one of the most perfect days he had lived. His baseball glove was wrapped in a dull green paper with trains on it, and a baseball from his brothers and sister was wrapped in matching paper. They had all made him cards, and his parents had bought him a card. All of this thought had made him smile.

After he went to bed, and had maybe been asleep for twenty minutes, his father crept in. He sat at his son’s feet, and lightly shook young Peter awake. When Peter came to, he smiled at him.

“There’s my boy. You’re growing up so fast. You’ll be a man soon, yah know?” He said quietly. Peter knew he had given the same talk to his two older brothers, but it meant so much more when it was directed at him. It made him feel special. “I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I wish I coulda been there tonight. You like you’re present alright?” His father’s voice sounded kind, not authoritative like it usually did.

“Yes, sir, it was perfect.” His father smiled at him slightly, patted him on the head, and exited as quietly as possible. Peter drifted off, the excitement of everything slowly waning.

He continued to turn the aging pages of his Bible. This makes me smile, to see his dedication. His eyes are strained. Peter has been reading for quite some time now, determined to finish before he dies. I can see it. He is afraid, though I am certain he has accepted the inevitable. Time has been granted to him, allowing him to come to dread his impending death. He has waited on death row for six long years. Years of routine and dread. What a way to come to an end.

When he was nineteen, Peter got a job at a diner down the street from the University of Arkansas , where he was studying to be an accountant. Though he was extremely bright, financial aid was lacking, so one afternoon he walked into this rustic, cozy diner with the intention of getting a job with his best friend, Jordan. Mrs. Eberle, the owner, made snide comments at him as he filled out his application. Jordan watched as he mopped the floor.

“I can’t be paying you much, especially if you just plan on standing around,” She snapped at him. Peter smiled and took the remark with a grain of salt. He was at the point of desperation.

“That’s okay, Mrs. Eberle, you pay me what you can afford. I promise I’ll work as hard as I can.” She rolled her eyes at his; and Jordan, a tall, lanky, fellow, chuckled to himself.

“I don’t like a kiss ass either. You start tomorrow, three o’ clock sharp! Black work pants, a white t-shirt, and hats are allowed. I’ll provide you with an apron.” She sidled away; and Jordan shot him thumbs up. Mrs. Eberle was rather large, grey haired, and wore over sized glasses. It was ridiculous, how she looked. However, he beamed with pride at the prospect of making his own living for now.

Peter closed his Bible. He laid back on his bed, his mind swirling with thoughts that none of you, I’m sure, could imagine at this point in time. The fear of not finishing taunted him a little bit. It is the one thing he had left to do, the one thing he felt like he might not finish, and here he was lying down, avoiding it all together. Peter all the time felt nauseous with guilt as he read. He wishes desperately to be with normal society, but he feels as though he deserves to be where he is. His eyes closed, and he drifts slightly into a different world than this.

Even though he had been offered overtime that night, he didn’t take it. Emily, his wife of exactly three years today was waiting at home with his favorite meal- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. His life was going well, but now it felt complete. They were young and head over heels for one another. He entered their small apartment with a tiny bouquet of carnations. He wished he could afford better for his love, but he couldn’t. Right now they were struggling as is, but he was determined to make this night somewhat special.

She wore a red, knee length skirt, white knit top, and an apron. Her brown hair was pulled tightly into a bun. Emily had been working hard all day to get the meal exactly right. Peter swept right in, with a rather flat stomach and full head of hair, and kissed her hard on the mouth. His happiness had reached an all time high, and he never realized how surreal a home life could be.

Emily giggled and put the carnations in a vase, absolutely thrilled with their beauty. As they sat down to dinner, he talked excitedly about his job. She listened with great attention, and never let it falter. After dinner, they sat on their couch. For the time being, they couldn’t afford a TV, but they sat in silence, enjoying each others company.

The warmth in the apartment was different that the warmth in the cell. Now it is sweltering. It is now 4:34 p.m. Soon, he will be served his chosen meal, then taken into another part of the building, and be killed. He jumps up and starts reading his Bible furiously. He is determined to finish.

None of his family would come to Christmas that year. He watched as Emily and Allie, his now nine year old daughter, put up the decorations. He just got in from shoveling the driveway of their small townhouse. Everything was finally coming together; they had the kind of life that Peter had always wanted to build for them. His daughter bounced around, hanging up her favorite ornaments first. She was a small girl, with brown curly hair. She was perfect in his eyes, everything a father could want in a daughter. Peter had been working extra over time these past few weeks to buy his daughter and wife everything they could want. He bought the really expensive porcelain doll that Allie had wanted, and the pearl necklace that Emily would never even admit she wanted.

“Daddy! Daddy! Put me on your shoulders so I can put the star on top. I wanna do it!” She exclaimed, while pulling on his arm. He chuckled softly. He lifted her up; she was so heavy now. Heavier than he remembered. Emily beamed at her family.

I can see now that Peter has given up. He has reached a passage that has made him stop, and can’t go on. Good thing too. It is five minutes until five, and time for him to eat.

The guard opens the door to his cell and hands him a plate with his dinner on it. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, which is exactly what he had asked for. Peter eats slowly, savoring the flavor that dances on his tastes buds. It’s the perfect meal for a horrible ending. He tries not to think about what is going to happen after he is finished. His iced tea is entirely too sweet, not how Emily makes it, but he makes do. Peter is grateful for this last piece of pity he has received before they kill him.

Peter hasn’t had a chance to live a full life, and it’s a shame he doesn’t. Great things will happen after he leaves your world. Do not think me angry or anything. This is not my punishment for him, it’s yours. I do not find him a failure for what has happened. Or a disappointment, I understand that things can happen. Even bad things.

You can see now he was a normal human being trying to live his life the best, and only way, he could. A normal human being, maybe just like you, or your dad, is marched down the hallway. The only one who has come to bid him goodbye is Patricia. She says she loves him, and she’ll miss him. He doesn’t answer, though. He can see the hate in her eyes. Peter doesn’t want to cry. It’s too late for that.

He sits in the chair calmly. The doctor injects a lethal fluid into his arm, and he closes his eyes as his life runs away from him. The memories, pain, and happiness; all of it flees his body. His sister cries harder, and then leaves before the process is complete.

Peter’s body is soon limp and lifeless. He is dead now, and some of the cruel people in the world think society is better off with him gone. Take heed, however. Do not be so quick to cast your judgments on others. A man is dead now, and the people he loves mourn, despite their own judgments about him.

Some can be so horrible and mighty to pass out consequences to others. And who do you think you are exactly?

Like I said, it’s just a simple story. Just a life lost, among the millions I’ve created, and the millions you’ve destroyed. Not a big deal…right?

I received a response in the comment for my blog post yesterday on Dzof Azmi’s article in the Star newspaper dated last Sunday. This warrants another blog post. Here is what he wrote in his comment below and in his blog.

I was directed to your blog from your email.

This comment is duplicated on my blog.

I understand your anger against snatch thieves. That, added to the fact that they seem to callously put people’s lives in danger just for maybe a hundred Ringgit seems unjust enough that you would want to hurt them grievously – kill them even.

You ask me how I feel if somebody close to me was killed by such a snatch thief.

I would naturally want to grab hold of him, torture him mercilessly, keeping him barely alive so I can inflict the maximum amount of pain. I would do this, knowing that no amount of physical suffering could make up for my emotional loss. Yet, I would endeavour to make him feel fear, perhaps hurting his loved ones too to make him know the gaping maw that lies within me. I would perhaps injure those he cares until I see the loss in his eyes, and then perhaps go beyond it for good measure. I would should practically no mercy, except for him to contrast with what absence of pain is.

This is why I hope somebody would stop me from doing it. My fear is that if pushed I would do them, and I know right now, right here that this would put me on the wrong side of civilization that I would like to see the human race to be. An eye for an eye makes everyone blind.

This is why public vendetta is illegal. This is why we don’t let a person in the street take direct and vengeful reaction on those that wrong him. This is why we say, a man is innocent until proven guilty, and that the only killing deemed acceptable is in direct self-defence or as part of a state-sponsored execution.

And yet, that anger if left unassuaged will need to find a way to vent itself. If you continue to hate those that you think wronged you, then you will want to take retribution on all those that person represents.

I would like to call you a friend, if only because I think we both understand the pain that a crime can cause beyond its immediate act. If you want to get your MP to campaign for snatch thefts to be classified as attempted murder, that I would support your right to do that too (even if I don’t fully agree with that).

But if you want to be part of a group that hunts down and kills a man as he flees, because somebody else who snatched somebody else’s purse resulted in their death, then I apologise: I have to stand opposite you and stop a criminal act

First I would like to applaud you for your courage to come forward and reply on this blog. It takes an immense amount of courage to step forward and stand up to the person who has accused you of spurting nonsense. I am honoured that you thought my reply to your article was worthy of a response (and worthy of “unsettled hornets”).

You are absolutely right. The reason for me calling you out and responding to your article was not only due to my hatred for snatch thieves, but most of all was due to the sheer nonsense of you “trying” to see their side of the story and your “call” to try to “accept” them and “understand” the motive behind their sadistic act. You don’t NEED to see their side at all! You don’t need to ACCEPT them at all! They have chosen a life of crime, a life of making other people other than themselves miserable. Isn’t that “story” enough for you? What else do you need to know?

You are calling for the public to be less barbaric and leave it up to the MPs and the PDRMs to do their job and lock them up and find them and do the necessary to ensure that they will get their end of the law. Did you know the police stood by, held the criminal and did nothing while the public had their share of vengeance? They think he deserved it too! Let me share with you a video clip of what happened to a Chinese snatch thief who preyed on innocent old people while they are doing their daily “tai chi” in the mornings. The public did call the police, and the police did arrive. But people were so angry at their grandparents and neighbours getting robbed out of their hard earned savings they mob attacked the guy.

The public is definitely committing a crime as well and probably in your argument “lowering” themselves to his level. But are we really? Do you think by the public’s anger that they don’t feel that the Chinese man deserved it at all? Do you think that low life Chinese guy will EVER do something like this again? Don’t you think the community will feel safer now that everyone’s on the lookout for such cases? If everyone turned a blind eye, nothing will get solved. Heck, the crime rate will be increasing.

You say you hope someone will stop you if indeed (God forbid) you come across being robbed or your family members being a victim of such a case. You say you wont feel like revenge will give you emotional release. Well, my “friend”, you’re wrong. You believe those high-and-mighty movies that say revenge will not give you emotional release is wrong. Well, somewhat. Let me explain.

Why then do people go to court to convict their daughter’s murderer, why do people take police work into their own hands and conduct investigations on their own? If their daughter is dead and we should just learn to “forgive” and “accept” that it happened due to some “reason” of the criminal committing the act, won’t they just go home and sleep it over since they won’t get any “release” from it anyways, according to you? Sure, their daughter/son/mother/father won’t come back from the dead. But at least it gives you that sigh of relief to know that justice has been served. Whether it be the right way or the wrong way. There is that form of “release”.

The criminals kill mercilessly or accidentally for a couple of hundred ringgits. It is not because of the hundreds of ringgits that we will go “mob” on the snatch thieves. It is what they have represented themselves. You never know when the next one is going to kill you. You will have literally NO time to stop and ask if you’re going to die. You either stand up for yourself and expect help from the public or face a chance of getting stabbed at your vital places or pulled to your death from behind a cheap scooter. You choice.

It was the ladies’ choice to chase the man, and I’m sure it was an accident knocking him over while he is fleeing as you said. But maybe there was an invaluable item in her purse that no price tag can be placed on it. She must have a reason for chasing him. And his reason for fleeing is only ONE: not being caught for his criminal act. If you are at all religious, which I am not, you will believe that it was God’s choice to take his life. I say, he had what was coming to him. This isn’t his first robbery by the way, he was convicted before.

We can sit here and debate back and forth on this and I’m sure you will have a lot to say about what I have replied. And since we know we’re not in agreement, we can only agree to disagree. Thank you again for your courageous comment and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.

P/s – I still think you’re taking a cowardly stance by choosing to be on “their” side. It’s like saying, “Hey guys, I’m on your side! Please remember my face and not rob me because I understand why you’re doing this criminal act and accept you and your community for who you are.” You really need to read what you wrote again and see what message you are trying to send to us, the public in the mass of your article. However, I must say that your MAIN point in your article was a great point; that Malaysians should not be bloodthirsty and vengeful and that we should allow the law to take over and not take the law into our own hands.